


Not All My Victims Were Innocent

by Lucretia_Cyphus



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-24
Updated: 2017-12-28
Packaged: 2018-09-26 15:27:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9908687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lucretia_Cyphus/pseuds/Lucretia_Cyphus
Summary: "I thought he was a friend. I was wrong." Emma and Hook rescue someone else from the Evil Queen's dungeons, and bring this man back to Storybrooke. He has a past with both Regina and Robin, and wants nothing more than to tear them apart. To what lengths will Robin and Regina have to go to protect each other and their newly emerging family?





	1. Chapter One

AN: This is my second attempt at a multi-chaptered Outlaw Queen fic. I hope you enjoy it!  
A few notes to keep in mind due to this being a canon divergent AU fic.  
Maria is dead, however she may play a role in flashbacks as it would be hard not to show her as a part of Robin’s past, plus I do like her character. In this fic, Regina has no part in her death.  
Zelena is also dead, and she will play absolutely no role in this story, except minor references if necessary.  
Maleficent will definitely be in Storybrooke, but the explanation for her return is different than canon.  
Here it is, enjoy!

CHAPTER ONE  
Regina almost floated into the crowded diner, unable to stop smiling at the man she was quickly falling in love with. His adorable son had let go of her hand to run ahead to the door, but now was taking her hand again to lead her over the table. It seemed like it would be a perfect evening, or it would be once Henry joined them.  
As she went to sit down, Regina saw Emma walking over to her. She braced herself for a possible argument about Henry, because there was no way she was letting Emma run off with her son back to New York City. She wasn’t as angry about it as she might have been, as she was sure Henry didn’t actually want to go back to New York now that he had his memories back.  
It turned out to be about something completely different.  
“Regina, there’s something I have to tell you,” Emma said. “I brought someone back. From the past. And he still thinks of you as, well…”  
“Evil,” Regina finished, resigned to the fact that it was how some would always see her.  
“Yeah, I’m going to bring him over, I already told him it’s okay. But it’s kind of delicate, so…” Emma was turning back to the counter and trailing off.  
“I understand,” Regina said, wondering who it could be. Most of those sentenced to her dungeons and executed were hiding Snow White, and had often been victims of her wrath in the form of having their families being killed or villages burned. He probably had every right to hate her, so she’d just live with it.  
Emma walked over to the counter to bring the man over, and due to the crowd, Regina couldn’t see his face until Emma came back with him. She tried to put a friendly and non-threatening smile on her face to hopefully make everything easier. It froze when she saw the man’s face.  
“Regina this is…” Emma trailed off, as it became clear she didn’t actually know the man’s name.   
No. No. It couldn’t be him. Regina hadn’t seen him since he had escaped (or been let go, as she now realized). She had assumed he’d stayed away out of fear of her, or that someone else had killed him, and she’d been grateful for it either way.  
These thoughts and a thousand others raced through her mind in the span of seconds when a voice called out…  
“Bloody hell! What is he doing here?”   
Regina turned to see Robin’s friend, Little John standing up and on the defensive. Robin was still sitting down, and was shorter than John anyway so he couldn’t immediately see.   
“Little John, what’s wrong?” he asked as he stood up.  
“Bloody Prince John is here!”  
Regina looked away from the man who also looked rather surprised by the outburst, and saw Robin also looking stunned. The rest of the Merry Men who were present stood up as well, looking like they were ready to defend themselves.  
“Oh, good grief,” Prince John said, recovering from his surprise. “Robin Hood and his Merry Men. You’re finally out of the forest, I see.”  
“You’re supposed to be dead!” Alan a Dale said.   
“Alas, I’m not,” Prince John said. “The Evil Queen,” he continued, putting an emphasis on the word ‘evil,’ as he looked at her again, “failed in her attempts to execute me.”   
“What’s going on here?” Charming asked as he pushed through the crowd, Mary-Margaret behind him with baby Neal in her arms.  
“Dad, this the man I was telling you about,” Emma said, nervously.  
“The outlaws aren’t happy to see their prince is all,” Prince John said.  
“You’re not a prince here,” Robin declared, with a harsh voice that Regina had never heard from him. “And you’re certainly not a king.”  
“Emma? What’s going on?” Mary Margaret’s voice penetrated Regina’s mind as the woman asked her daughter, who looked increasingly like she wasn’t sure of her decision to mess with time.  
“He was locked in Regina’s dungeon when we were in the past. He was set to be executed, and was willing to help us, so we helped him. We brought him here so it wouldn’t mess with the timeline,” Emma said, softly, trying to meet Regina’s eyes.   
But the noise from the crowd in the diner was starting to buzz in Regina’s ears and she was finding it difficult to breathe. She turned and walked towards the door, pushing past a few people as she exited.  
Once outside, she found herself better able to breathe, and then she heard Emma’s voice behind her.  
“Regina, wait! Regina, stop!”  
The insistence in the woman’s voice irritated Regina enough to turn around and speak to her for the first time since the revelation.  
“Why him?”  
“What?” Emma stopped in her tracks, confused.  
“Why him? Of all people, you had to save him?”  
“You were about to have him executed,” Emma protested. “I couldn’t just leave him there to die.”  
“Of course you could have. Did it every occur to you that he may have deserved it? I may have been the Evil Queen, Miss Swan, but that does not mean that everyone in my dungeons was innocent.”  
“He certainly wasn’t,” Robin’s voice came from the doorway and he came down to meet Regina, Roland trailing behind him. “That man is a menace,” he continued as he reached her. “Are you alright?”  
“Yes,” Regina lied, and from the look on Robin’s face he didn’t believe her. He moved closer to her and took her hand in his. “Just, very surprised.”  
“As are we. I never thought I’d see his face here. But he has no power here at least.”  
“Look,” Emma said. “I didn’t know who he was, I just didn’t want him executed.”  
“Mom, what’s going on?” Henry now came through the door, his grandparents behind him. He didn’t bother to specify which mother he was asking, but Snow followed up with a repeat of Robin’s question.  
“Regina, are you okay?” Snow asked, repeating Robin’s question.  
“What are you all so worried about?” Prince John now came outside, presumably driven out by the Merry Men’s anger at seeing him. “You do know who she is, right? You do remember what she did to you?” He asked Snow, who looked back at him awkwardly.  
“We know who you are,” Robin said in the hard voice again. “So, I would stop throwing stones.”  
“I’m honestly surprised, Hood…” Prince John’s voice trailed off as something appeared to catch his eye. Regina realized he had seen her hand in Robin’s just before he spoke again.  
“Good God. Are you two together?” He started chuckling to himself as though the idea were absurd.   
Of course, he hadn’t been the only one to think so, and because of that everyone looked rather awkward. Henry just looked a bit wary.  
“I have to say,” Prince John continued. “I never would have predicted that. Robin Hood, in love with the Evil Queen? I thought you hated royalty?”  
“No, just you, John,” Robin said, in an even lower voice. “So watch it.”  
Regina reflexively almost conjured a fireball, but stopped herself from incinerating him. But the anger was bubbling up as the prince continued to chuckle and taunt them, and she realized she could only control herself for so long. She let go of Robin’s hand and transported herself into her vault.  
She landed standing up, but leaned against the wall and slid to the floor. Now that she was alone she felt able to release the anguished and enraged cry that had been building up from the moment she had seen his face again.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO – MANY YEARS AGO  
Riding was the only thing that still brought her any sort of happiness. On days where she didn’t have her magic lessons with Rumpelstiltskin, or any royal obligations, Regina would take Rocinante out for hours and just enjoy galloping with the wind in her face. It allowed her to momentarily forget what she had to go back to later.   
She slowed her horse down by a stream that was in the woods off the field, and dismounted to let him have a drink before continuing on towards home. He whinnied happily as he put his neck down to drink. She stroked his neck and sighed to herself, as she thought of how much Daniel would have enjoyed this ride. Tears began to prick at her eyes as she remembered the joyous look he would get on his face as they would gallop together.  
Rocinante raised his head as he finished his drink, and turned to her. He started to nuzzle her with his head a little, as though trying to comfort her.  
“Do you miss him too?” she asked the horse. He seemed to nod slightly, although it was probably her imagination.  
“I’m going to visit him when I get back,” she decided out loud. “And I’ll tell him how much we both miss him.”  
Regina stayed by the water awhile longer before getting back on. As much as going to visit Daniel appealed to her in a weird way, it meant going back to the palace. Her fancy prison.  
She let Rocinante walk back, as there was no need to rush. She didn’t want to see her husband and step-daughter anyway, and Daddy had had to visit their old estate for a few weeks for business. Aside from her deceased love’s corpse, there was no one she wanted to see.  
Her plans for a night alone were damaged when one of Leopold’s servants stopped her in the corridor on her way to her chambers.  
“Your Majesty?” he asked, bowing his neck to her as he approached.   
“Yes?” she asked, hoping it was nothing.  
“His Majesty the King is asking for you to be present in the dining room for dinner this evening. He has an announcement that must be made to you and the Princess.”  
Regina took a deep breath to stop herself from screaming. Couldn’t he stop this charade and just leave her be?   
“Is His Majesty too shy to come and tell me himself?” She spat out.  
“I, uh, I beg your pardon, ma’am?”   
The man looked so confused and slightly afraid by her tone that Regina simply shook her head and walked past him.  
“Um, shall I tell him you will be down…”  
“Yes, for heaven’s sake, tell him I will be down shortly!” Regina yelled over her shoulder as she continued walking up to her chambers.   
She was honestly tempted to just go to dinner in her riding clothes. Why bother making an effort? But she did really want a bath and there was no point in putting the clothes back on afterwards.  
After her bath, she combed out her hair and put on the white dress she often wore when there was no occasion to wear anything else.   
Her so-called husband and step-daughter were waiting for her when she got down to their private dining room off the Great Hall. Food had already been served and they were eating the first course.  
“Regina, guess what?” Snow asked her excitedly when she came in the door. “Father just told me something ever so exciting!”  
“Oh, really?” Regina asked nonchalantly, as she took her seat across the table from the old man.  
“Yes, we’re having royal visitors next week!” Snow said with a big grin, no doubt imagining the parties she would be allowed to stay up late for.  
“Oh, how nice,” Regina said.  
“As you know,” Leopold said, not bothering to look up at her as he continued to eat his soup, “King Henry of Nottingham passed away six months ago.”   
Regina remembered hearing about it, but hadn’t bothered pondering the monarchy of Nottingham very much.   
“So, his eldest son is now King Richard. I invited him, and his younger brother, Prince John, for a visit to reestablish our old trading agreements with Nottingham. They will be arriving next week.”  
“How long will they be staying?” she asked, although her real question was, how many of these royal affairs would she have to partake in?  
“They will stay for two weeks while we renegotiate treaties,” he said, this time looking up as a servant came around with food for their main course. “We can discuss the events later, as you’ll have to be ready to fulfill some duties as Queen.”  
Regina tried not to let her displeasure show, although he wasn’t looking at her anyway and Snow had proven herself too dimwitted to figure out when her step-mother wasn’t happy.  
***  
The next week the palace was all of a bustle with trying to prepare for the royal visitors. Regina managed to get to a few magic lessons but was otherwise kept very occupied with queenly duties of supervising the decorating of the Great Hall, and the dressmaker, who always made Regina the same type of dress anyway.   
Snow White grew more excited for the banquet and ball as the visit grew nearer, and her insipid enthusiasm was grating on Regina’s last nerve.  
“Isn’t it exciting Regina?” Snow asked as she followed her stepmother out of the hall. “It’s been so dull here recently.”  
Well it seemed they agreed on that at least.   
“It’ll be nice to have some fun,” the Princess continued as she skipped ahead.  
“I’m sure it will,” Regina said, and let herself fall behind at the stairs. It would already take hours to get her ready for the arrival and the banquet, what was a few extra minutes?  
It did take hours for the handmaids to help dress her, which was frustrating since Regina had learned enough magic to dress herself in the elaborate outfits and gowns in a second, but it would look too suspicious if she managed to do it all without assistance. The pale blue gown she had for the occasion had rather intricate lacing to be dealt with, and putting her hair into an intricate style always took time.  
Regina did her best to smile and at least look like she wasn’t dreading the evening. Not that it mattered, the maids never said much to her one way or another, and she wasn’t exactly eager to make conversation with them.  
Snow had made it down to the palace front gardens before Regina did, looking cheerful and pretty in the lavender gown that the servants had dressed her in.   
“Oh Regina, you look beautiful!” she exclaimed as Regina approached in the beaded blue gown with a diamond tiara in her hair.  
“Thank you, dear,” she said, simply, moving to stand next to the King. He simply looked her up and down, and said,  
“Good Afternoon.”  
“Good Afternoon,” she replied, curtly.  
“Look, they’re coming!” Snow said, excitedly, pointing down the esplanade, where carriages were coming up with flags bearing the crest of Nottingham.  
As was typical for a royal visit there were three carriages. The first was simply to hold the piles of luggage the royals would need. The second, and most elaborate carriage, held the king and the prince. The third was for their servants and their belongings.  
A man got down from the second carriage, bowed to them and said.  
“Your Majesties, I present, His Majesty King Richard, and His Royal Highness, Prince John of Nottingham.”  
He opened the carriage door, and two men got out. The first was tall and broad, with fair hair and eyes. He wore breeches and a red and gold doublet. A slightly younger man came out of the carriage after him, this one also thinner and with darker hair. He didn’t look as pleased to be there as his brother, who was clearly the King, as he’d been the first to exit the carriage.  
“Welcome, Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness,” King Leopold said, graciously moving towards them to shake the other King’s hand. “Welcome to Mist Haven.”  
“Thank you for your hospitality, Your Majesty,” King Richard replied with an equally enthusiastic shake.  
“I was so sorry to hear about your father’s death,” King Leopold said. “He was a good king, and a good man.”  
“That he was,” King Richard. “I can only hope that I am the right person to fill his shoes.”  
Regina noticed the Prince seemed to be trying not to roll his eyes.   
“I’m sure you will serve your people well. And I hope we are able to keep the ties between our kingdoms as strong as ever,” King Leopold said, starting to lead the two men up the garden. “My servants will look after yours and help them take your things to your rooms.”  
There was a hustle behind them as servants from both houses began to mingle and take luggage from the front carriage. King Leopold continued bringing the men over to an eager Princess and stoic Queen.  
“This is my beautiful daughter Snow,” he told the King and Prince with pride. Snow curtsied to them in greeting. “And Regina, my wife, the Queen.” He introduced her as she always did.  
“Your Majesty,” King Richard bowed to her graciously. She curtsied as she knew she was supposed to. He took her hand and kissed it, as was the custom.  
After a moment in which he looked her in the eye and stared at her, Prince John also bowed to her.  
“Your Majesty,” he said. “It’s a pleasure.”  
“The pleasure is mine,” she said automatically, allowing him to also take her hand and kiss it. He smiled at her widely when afterwards, more so than his brother did.  
The two men greeted the Princess graciously and began walking up to castle together. The Kings discussed the possibility of altering or keeping certain trade agreements, in between Snow excitedly telling their visitors about the plans for their stay. The Prince attempted to discuss the trade agreements as well but his brother would push him out by raising his voice louder. Regina simply stayed silent, knowing that her husband preferred it that way, and it made everything easier, even if it led to dullness.  
The had a late lunch with their visitors, while King Richard continued to tell King Leopold about the new challenges he was facing as a young monarch, with Leopold only too happy to pass on his expertise.  
Prince John was seated to Regina’s right, so she couldn’t help but notice his quiet yawns. He saw her see him and gave a guilty smile.  
“I apologize, Your Majesty,” he said, quietly. “Long journey, you know.”  
“Please,” Regina said, almost in a whisper so Snow wouldn’t hear, although she seemed oddly enraptured by her father’s chat with King Richard. Regina couldn’t help but smirk at the Prince. “I’m just as bored as you are.”  
“Don’t Queens normally like banquets and balls?” He asked, with his eyebrows raised.  
“Perhaps others do,” Regina said. “I find them a bore.”  
He looked like he wanted to ask why, but the next course was being served, and then Snow interrupted them to ask Prince John some questions and he was not able to ask his own for the rest of dinner.  
***  
Regina was woken early by the servants, who had been instructed to get her ready for the hunting party that the king had planned for King Richard and Prince John’s second day. One nice thing about being able to go on the hunting trip was that she didn’t need to be dressed in anything horribly fancy. She could just wear her dark red cloak with the leather pants and vest she normally wore out to her magic lessons with Rumple.  
The other nice part was being able to go riding, and she had to admit that although she would have preferred to ride on her own as usual, it was a beautiful day for a hunt. The sun was shining brightly, and it wasn’t too windy. It was warm but not overly hot.  
After the servant’s left, Regina walked down to the esplanade, where there were many horses waiting to be mounted. Several of King Leopold’s closest friends and advisors were joining them, as well as two of King Richard’s advisors who had accompanied him on their journey.   
“Regina! Regina, over here!” Regina reluctantly looked over to where the annoying child’s voice came from and saw Snow standing with her father, and the visiting monarchs. The eleven-year old girl waved to her as she walked over, and her husband acknowledged her with a simple, ‘good morning,’ as the visiting King and Prince bowed to her.  
“Good morning, Your Majesty,” King Richard said, pleasantly.  
“Good morning,” she answered, politely. “I trust your first night with us was pleasant?” she continued, playing the role of hospitable queen.  
“Very,” Prince John said, with a smile. “Can’t remember a better one.”  
“And it’s such a lovely day for a hunt,” King Richard said, as he moved towards his horse that was being brought forward to him.  
“We couldn’t have asked for better weather,” King Leopold agreed.  
Rocinante whinnied happily as he was brought towards Regina, and she couldn’t help but smile at her beloved companion. She gave his neck a few strokes while Snow was given a leg up onto her pony.  
“Looks like you have a good friend there,” Prince John said as he watched Rocinante nuzzle Regina’s body with his face. The Prince’s mount didn’t look as happy or cooperative.  
“He’s a good steed,” Regina said as she mounted without assistance. “Never a problem with him.”  
“You’re lucky,” Prince John said, as he got up onto his own horse after a minute of struggling to get the stallion to stand still. “This one’s a bit stubborn. Fast when he wants to be though. Which of course, depends on the day.”  
Regina laughed as they moved their horses towards the others joining the hunt. The royal advisors and a few Lords who were joining them gave short bows from a top their horses.  
They all moved down the esplanade towards the fields, where the dogs began to follow the scent. Regina rode quickly at first with the rest of the hunt, but started to get bored of pretending she wanted to be there after about half an hour. And it was just around then that she happened to be coming close to a path into the trees. Almost on instinct from a desire to get away from the crowd, Regina turned Rocinante onto the path and away from the hunting party. She galloped him for a while until she was sure they were away, and then slowed him to a walk to enjoy the peaceful scenery. She came to her favorite peaceful spot by the stream, and dismounted.  
Rocinante moved toward the water to drink, and Regina sat on a rock that was hidden, but still managed to get some sun. Glad for chance to relax in the peace and quiet, Regina even took her shoes off to dip her feet into the cool water.  
She wasn’t sure how long she stayed that way before she heard the rustling in the trees, but it was probably more than half an hour at least. Regina looked around and saw a familiar bay colored horse coming through. Rocinante looked up from the grass he’d moved towards to graze and whinnied at the newcomer.  
“Hello, Your Majesty,” came Prince John’s pleasant voice in greeting. He rode into the clearing and dismounted his horse, who seemed happy to move towards the stream for a drink.  
“What are you doing here?” she asked, surprised to see anyone there.  
“Same as you, I’m guessing,” he said. “I wanted to enjoy some solitude in the woods. They’ve caught the fox and started to head back, but I was enjoying the ride.”  
“And you just happened to choose this direction?” she asked.  
“No,” he admitted, smiling, and coming over to where she was sitting. “I saw you and your horse slip on down that path earlier. When no one else did, I thought I could be discreet as well on the way back. I didn’t know if I’d run into you or not though.”  
“We’re not that far from the castle,” Regina said.   
“But far enough,” he said. “Do you mind if I sit down?”  
Regina shrugged, and allowed him room on the rock. They sat in silence for a few moments before he broke it with another question.  
“This area is a good find. Unless you’re on that trail back there, you wouldn’t notice it at all. When did you discover it?”  
“About a week after I was married. I just, well, I felt a need to get away alone for a while. So, I rode off when no one was keeping an eye out and found this place by the time Rocinante needed a drink.”  
“That must have been difficult,” he said, sounding impressed. “I have a hard time getting out of our castle alone when I want to. Someone always wants to insist I am accompanied.”  
“I worried at first,” she said. “But now it’s pretty easy to get away. Unless I’m expected for something specific, no one really notices if I leave.”  
“Must be nice,” he said, with a shrug.  
“Convenient,” she said. “I don’t know if I’d say, nice.”  
“No, perhaps not…” he said, seeming to think twice about what he had said. “Does your husband mind? You going out alone?”  
“I’m not sure he notices either,” Regina said, frankly. She wasn’t sure why she was telling him all this, but it was surprisingly easy. “If he does, he doesn’t care.”  
Prince John didn’t seem to have a response to that. They sat in a more comfortable silence for a bit, and then he changed the subject and began talking about some of the ridiculous customs in his court, and she couldn’t help but laugh and share some of her own. By the time they started riding back, Regina found she had smiled more than she had in nearly a year.  
***  
The ball that evening had a spectacular turnout from the lords and ladies of the land. Regina sat on her throne, looking out over the crowd that had gathered in the beautifully decorated ballroom. People were drinking wine and from golden goblets, the women were dressed in gowns in every color imaginable, and all except the Queen were dancing the night away.   
She tried to contain her scowl as she watched her husband dancing with her step-daughter joyously. It wasn’t that she really wanted to dance with her husband, but he could at least pretend that she was something besides a throne ornament to him.  
Regina turned away from the sight to take a drink from her goblet, and when she looked back up, she saw Prince John holding his hand out to her.  
“Would Her Majesty honor me with a dance?” he asked, formally, but with a smile.  
“Have you already run out of other partners?” Regina asked, returning the smile.   
He smiled back.  
“Not necessarily. But it seems a crime for a Queen to be sitting alone at a ball.”  
“I told you, I find these boring,” she said, shrugging.  
“Well, perhaps we can be bored together?”   
“Alright,” she said, standing up and allowing him to take her hand.  
He led her onto the dance floor, and several onlookers seemed surprised that their Queen had moved from her throne. Her husband didn’t look thrilled at what was happening but he didn’t move to stop them either.  
She was slightly disconcerted by everyone paying attention to her, and as she began a waltz with Prince John she felt nervous. She knew she wasn’t a great dancer. He knew what he was doing well enough it seemed though and steered them to the music.  
“Suddenly they decide to take notice,” Regina said to her dance partner, who seemed amused.  
“You’re the Queen, you’re not hard to notice,” he said.  
“Well, I told you before, they never notice my absence,” she said. “So, I expected they didn’t care one way or the other.”  
The music picked up the tempo and Prince John started steering them faster. Regina laughed as they danced, and became more amused than anything else about the people who were staring. After a few songs, she saw King Leopold coming towards her out of the corner of her eye. She didn’t pay him much mind and continued to laugh as she danced with Prince John. But he suddenly stopped as the King reached them.   
“May I cut in?” he asked softly, although not entirely happily.  
Prince John did hesitate slightly, but didn’t appear to be able to come up with a good enough reason to deny a husband the opportunity to dance with his wife.  
“But of course, Your Majesty,” he replied, releasing Regina’s arm and stepping away from her. “Thank you for the dance, Your Majesty,” he continued, as he stepped away.  
Her husband took her arms and began dancing with her as the musicians started their next song. He didn’t say anything at first, but steered her somewhat forcefully. Regina wasn’t sure what to make of this change, but she didn’t think she preferred it to him ignoring her.   
She was sure once he started actually talking to her.  
“Everyone noticed you were dancing with someone other than me,” he said, sounding irritated, but kept the fake smile on his face. “Several noblemen commented on it.”  
“Why would it bother them?” she asked, moderately curious, but mostly annoyed. “I wouldn’t be the first Queen to share a dance with someone other than her King. It’s done all the time.”  
“Not when she hasn’t shared a dance with the King first,” he said, as though this should not only be obvious, but that she should care.  
Regina rolled her eyes. If that were the case, she’d never dance at all.  
“Well, you didn’t ask me to dance, you asked your daughter,” she pointed out. “You never ask me to dance all. People comment on that too, you know.”  
He had enough grace to look slightly sheepish.  
“So, if another man who has been friendly to me would like to share a dance with me at a ball, I see no reason to decline while my husband dances with his little girl instead,” she continued firmly.   
“It looks wrong to people,” her husband insisted.   
“Well then,” she said, as the song ended and she could release him and curtsy. As she rose again she continued, “I suppose it’s up to you to make sure it doesn’t look wrong.”  
And with that, she walked away from her husband and toward a servant carrying drinks. She took a goblet of wine and went back to her throne to sit and watch. Prince John danced with a few more noblewomen that night, but he always seemed to catch her eye and wink at her. He didn’t approach her again, for Leopold was watching too closely, but it was clear he wasn’t afraid to in the future.  
She found she looked forward to it. It was nice to have someone to talk to, besides Snow White. He at least, had never betrayed her.


	3. Silence and Worries

AN: So, it’s definitely been a lot longer than I planned for me to update this. I apologize, thank you for your patience, if you’re bothering to still read it of course. I’ve had a lot going on and I also was experiencing a bout of depression last month so it took longer than usual. I’ll be honest, I don’t think this is my best work, and I kind of got to the point with this chapter where I felt like “Well, this is as good as it’s gonna get,” and here we are. I’m hoping you’ll like it anyway, as it’s kind of just a filler with Robin.

CHAPTER THREE-PRESENT DAY  
After Regina had disappeared, Robin’s Merry Men had come outside and David had to insist they all keep it civil if they wanted to keep living in the town. While this was an empty threat, considering there was still no way to leave as far as they knew, Robin told his men to come back to the camp, as he really didn’t want to cause any more problems and was more concerned about Regina anyway.  
His men had followed him back to their camp, angrily discussing Prince John and how he had nearly destroyed his own kingdom out of greed. Robin held Roland’s hand on the way back and let the conversation wash around him as he wondered if he should have immediately run to find Regina, or if that would have been too presumptuous of him. As much as he cared for her, and he believed she cared for him, this was still very new.  
His ears did tune into Little John’s shift in the conversation.  
“It’s not just Prince John who is here,” he said, sounding annoyed. “I swear I saw the old sheriff yesterday too. One of those bastards I can handle, but both of them?”  
“I know,” Alan said. “I feel like we should do something before they meet each other.”  
“No,” Robin said firmly, turning around as he got to the edge of the forest. “We don’t do anything, at least not right now.”  
The men looked surprised.  
“We have a fresh start here,” Robin offered as an explanation. “For the first time in years, we don’t have to live as outlaws. These people have been welcoming to us, so we aren’t going to cause a problem. If Prince John, or the Sheriff of Nottingham for that matter, wants to start a problem, then we can finish it, but we don’t do anything unless they do. Understood?”  
They stared at him, and nodded. Friar Tuck spoke up next, moving to stand next to his leader.  
“I agree with Robin,” he announced. “There’s no need to start trouble. We may still think of them as Prince and Sheriff, but they have no power here. They are just men, like everyone else in this town.”  
They started walking back to the camp again, Friar Tuck walking next to Robin and Roland this time.  
“Interesting isn’t it, though?” the older man said to Robin, quietly.  
“What is?” Robin asked.  
“That the…Queen,” he seemed to stop himself from saying ‘Evil’ before continuing on. “That the Queen should be so bothered by Prince John. If I didn’t know she was more powerful than him, I’d swear she looked almost frightened.”  
Robin didn’t respond at first. She had looked frightened, and he too found that strange. Although he had known her a short time, he hadn’t known her to be easily frightened, unless her child was in danger.  
“I know. She’s never mentioned him, so I don’t know what the history is there,” he admitted, quietly, not wanting the other men to hear.  
“Well, I know she’s become important to you,” Tuck said. “If a bit quickly. I hope your history with him doesn’t affect that.”  
“I don’t see why it would, if we both want nothing to do with the man,” Robin said as he reached his tent. Roland scampered inside, but his father waited outside.  
“Perhaps it won’t,” Tuck said. “But you don’t know what happened on the other side.”  
“Not yet,” Robin said.  
“Papa, can Regina come tell me a story tonight?” Roland asked from inside the tent where he was getting ready to go to sleep.  
Roland had taken to Regina rather quickly, and when she had learned he liked bedtime stories had promised that she would come and tell him one sometimes.   
“Um, it will have to be another night Roland, Regina had to go home.”  
“Oh, okay,” he said, with cheerful acceptance and continued getting ready for bed.  
Tuck started moving towards his own tent, simply saying “good night,” but Robin stopped him.  
“Could you watch Roland for a while, actually? You can sleep in my tent if I’m gone long.”  
“Sure,” Tuck said. “Are you going to find Regina now?”  
“I just want to make sure she’s alright,” Robin said, moving away from the tent. “Roland, be good for Tuck alright?”  
Roland waved to his father from his sleeping bag.  
Robin took his bow and walked back to the road. By the time he reached the town center, it seemed like most of the people had gone home. He was almost run over by one of those insane contraptions that Regina had called a “car.” It looked like Leroy was at the front but he didn’t bother worrying much about it. Granny’s had emptied out for the most part, with a few late-night stragglers. It looked like Prince John might be one of them, and was chatting with Ruby. Robin kept walking. His own grievances with Prince John weren’t what he needed to focus on right now.  
He wasn’t sure at first whether or not she would have gone to her house or to her vault, but he decided to check the vault first. If she was as scared as he thought she might have been, it seemed the more likely place for her to have gone. She had admitted to him that it was where she felt safest.  
Robin approached Regina’s mausoleum at a quick pace. Part of him wanted to just barge in and see her. Her shocked and frightened expression kept flashing in his mind and his worry grew. She hadn’t been at her mansion and this was the one other place she might go if she was scared. She would go to the forest to be alone and think, but not if she was afraid.  
As he approached the door to the vault, his sense began to compete with his primary need to know if Regina was okay. He took an arrow from his quiver and after a moment’s hesitation he threw it toward the door. It burst into flames and turned into ash.  
Robin took a deep breath and slowly moved as close to the door as he could get without the magic affecting him. In the short time he had known Regina, he had never been at a loss at what to say to her, whether they were butting heads in the Enchanted Forest, or being romantic in her office.  
“Regina,” he finally called out. “It’s me, Robin,” he continued, suddenly feeling pathetic and useless. “I just came because I wanted to make sure you were alright. I mean, I’m guessing you’re not.”   
He rolled his eyes and inwardly cursed at himself. Then he took another deep breath and said what he believed she needed to hear the most.  
“Regina, I know that I don’t know what happened between you and Prince John. And I know that right now, you may not want to tell me. And that’s alright. You can tell me when you’re ready, if you want to,” he said.  
He paused to see if she would respond to him.   
“But I do know one thing,” he said when he was met with silence. “I know what he is. Or at least, what he was. Judging by his attitude, he still is a poor excuse for a man.”  
He paused again, but still heard nothing that indicated she would respond to him.   
“I just want you to know that I’m here. If you need someone to listen, I will. And I’ll believe you, I promise.”  
He paused again, but there was nothing he could see or hear to tell him whether or not she had even heard him. He waited a bit longer this time, but eventually accepted he wouldn’t see her tonight, so he spoke one last time.  
“I’m going to sit in the cemetery for a bit, and if you want me to come in you can open the door. Otherwise, I will stay out here.”  
He moved away from the doors and walked over to one of the large trees off to the side of vault. Waiting by the door seemed like it might be too intrusive. He sat on the cold ground, leaned back against the tree and waited.  
There was no movement throughout the night, except the tree branches as cool breezes blew through them. Robin kept himself awake by counting stars and tree leaves, as he felt his eyes drooping several times. But he was determined to stay awake in case she came outside.  
When the sun began to rise, and light up the trees and stones of the graveyard, Robin noticed someone walking across the grass. He stood up when he realized that it was Emma, and she seemed determined.  
“Oh, Robin, hi,” Emma said, slowing down as she saw the man.  
“Hello Emma,” he added, giving her a quick nod.  
“Is Regina in there?” Emma asked, gesturing to the vault.   
“I haven’t seen her since she left Granny’s last night,” Robin said. “But since she wasn’t at her house, this seemed the most likely spot. But she hasn’t come outside at all.”  
“Unless she poofed herself somewhere,” Emma said.  
“Possibly, it did cross my mind,” Robin admitted. “She put a spell on the door to make it impossible for someone to go in without injuring themselves.”  
They stood there looking at the vault in silence for a moment, Emma shifting uncomfortably.  
“She hasn’t come out at all?” Emma asked.  
“No,” Robin said. “If she really is in there. I’ve wondered if I made a mistake a few times and she’s been somewhere else.”  
“Henry’s really worried. She sent him a note saying not to come to her for a while.”  
She brushed her hair from her face. Robin grew more concerned at that mention.  
“It’s definitely not like her to not want to see Henry. If anyone keeps her calm, it’s him.”  
“I know. And it hurts him that she doesn’t want to see him,” Emma said. “I’ve told him she just needs some space, but the problem is I don’t know why. I thought she might be upset with me for messing up the timeline, but this…”  
She paused again and sighed in frustration. She looked at him with another question in her eyes.  
“So, you’re from his kingdom, Prince John’s, but you never heard anything about the two of them?”  
Robin sighed.   
“Nothing that would explain this. King Leopold had a good relationship with King Richard, so I remember hearing about their visits to him. And I do remember hearing that Regina imprisoned him when she was Queen, but none of the details about it.”  
“Well, she can’t keep hiding down there,” Emma said. “We need to know what’s going on. The way she reacted…we need to know if this Prince John guy is actually dangerous or if it was just a bad time in her life.”  
Robin raised his eyebrows at her slightly, but resisted the urge to roll them.  
“It probably would have been a good idea to ask those questions before you brought him back with you.”  
Emma looked slightly indignant for a moment, but seemed to realize he was right as she didn’t snap at him. After a moment, she did meet his eyes again and asked him,  
“The stories say you ended up in a dungeon a few times,” Emma asked. “Is that true? I never read the version of you in Henry’s book, but you’re pretty famous.”  
Robin gave a small and knowing smile.   
“Regina showed me a few of those tales that this world thinks are true. They got a lot wrong. But yes, I did spend time in dungeons, and more time breaking people out of them.”  
“So, you understand why I saved his life?” Emma asked, sounding hopeful.  
“Yes,” Robin admitted. “I do. But whenever I broke someone out who I didn’t know, I never brought them back with me. I didn’t really know who they were.”  
Emma stared at him for a minute and then nodded slightly.  
With an unspoken agreement that it seemed pointless to remain there any longer, Emma and Robin both started walking away from the vault and toward the road.  
“Well, you know the man,” Emma said as they turned onto the street. “Do you think he’s dangerous. To the town? From a sheriff’s perspective, should I be worried?”  
Robin took a breath and shifted his quiver a bit, before deciding to give her the same answer he gave his men.  
“He’s not a prince here, which will take him some getting used to I expect. But he has no real power over anyone, so he can’t start the type of trouble he did as royalty.”  
“And it can’t have to do with that,” Emma said as they started to approach the center of town. “Regina was a Queen.”  
“Exactly,” Robin said. “Her rank was slightly higher than his. Whatever trouble was between them, it wasn’t the sort I knew him for.”  
They were walking down Main Street and the town was just waking up. Closed signs were being flipped to open, and Ruby waved to them as they started to walk past Granny’s.   
As they approached, Prince John came out of the diner and approached Ruby with a smile that she returned widely. He noticed the two approaching, and his eyes locked with Robin’s for a brief moment. It was long enough for them to glare at each other, the Prince’s glare angry, while Robin’s was more suspicious.   
When they broke eye contact, Robin continued walking with Emma down the road.  
“He seems to make friends fast,” Emma remarked.  
Robin was going to respond, but he was interrupted by a loud yell coming from up the street. A loud and deep voice was shouting,  
“We’re under attack! We’re under attack!”  
Leroy was running up the street with one of the other dwarves close behind him. This got the attention of others on the street and many began hurrying over.  
“Leroy, is everything alright?” A bystander asked as they ran up to see what the commotion was.  
“If it was, would I have run in here screaming, ‘under attack?’” Leroy asked irritably. He launched into a story about some sort of ice witch who had frozen their car last night on the way home from Granny’s the night before.  
As everyone around them seemed to panic at the idea of another villain, Robin noticed that there were in fact patches of ice on the road, and since it was rather warm out it didn’t make any sense.   
As Emma and Robin started following the ice path, Snow and Charming came up to them with the baby stroller, where Neal was sleeping peacefully.  
“What’s going on?” Charming asked.   
“Apparently there’s some ice-witch running around Storybrooke now,” Emma said.  
At that moment, there was a loud roaring sound that disrupted the entire street.  
Springing into action, they rushed towards where the sound was coming from, some of the people from town following them, but neither Robin nor Emma paid that much attention to who was behind them.  
Robin instinctively reached back for the arrows in his quiver, but quickly realized they would do him absolutely no good at all. Arrows were great for non-magical foes, but were little help against a magical being.  
Emma attempted to use her magic to get rid of it, but it bounced off the snow beast and just seemed to make it angrier. It shot it’s own magic at them and Robin was thrown backward, pain shooting up into his back as he landed, but he was able to get back up.  
More people were panicking now, and trying to do anything to set the monster off, when suddenly there was a burst of purple smoke, and the monster disappeared in a flash. As Robin got up, he saw Regina standing there, looking slightly stunned but also determined as she lowered her hands when the monster was gone.  
Robin hoisted himself off and dusted his torso off. When Regina didn’t immediately magic herself away, Robin started to move towards her. As he reached her, she started to give him a small smile, but it fell as Prince John’s voice suddenly echoed through the crowd.  
“A monster destroying a monster. What a sight,” he spat out sarcastically.   
Robin turned to glare at him, noticing that this was met with a lot of awkward silence, with a few nervous chuckles. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Regina’s hand twitch as though she wanted to either punch him or curse him. Robin could relate.  
But she said nothing in her own defense. No sarcastic reply or quip, which he had gotten used to and admired while in the Enchanted Forest. It was strange to see her so unresponsive to that type of attack. It angered him and he found himself speaking up, although part of him wondered if he really should.  
“There’s only one monster here now, John,” he said, his voice low. “And it isn’t her.”  
“You clearly don’t know her as well as I do, Hood. And trust me, I know her very well. Don’t I, Regina?” he said, the smirk back on his face again.  
Robin turned back to Regina, whose face looked like it couldn’t decide between rage and some other emotion he couldn’t quite make out.  
She turned and began to walk away. Emma, looking at the former Prince with worry and a bit of regret on her face, tried to go after her, but she used magic to transport herself away again, while everyone looked on in confusion.  
John walked away with some of the towns people now that the danger had passed. Emma, Mary-Margaret, David, and Robin remained behind.  
“I’ve known Regina a long time,” Mary-Margaret said. “And I’ve never seen her react to someone like that.”  
“And there’s nothing that you remember that could explain it?” Emma asked.  
“No, but I was so young, and I really didn’t pay that much attention,” Mary-Margaret admitted. “But you knew him, right, Robin?”  
“Yes, but like I told Emma, I don’t know anything that could explain this. I never even heard of them knowing each other, until I heard she took him prisoner. Even then, everyone in Nottingham was mostly relieved to be rid of him, so we didn’t really care why. But I know him, and as much as I’ve heard about the things Regina did, I’m certain that whatever happened between them is his fault.”  
“He was really that much of a brute?” David asked. “We never heard that much, since we were concerned with saving our own kingdom.”  
“Yes,” Robin said. “He was. I promise you. Now, I’m going to go find Regina. I think you still have some type of ice witch to find?” He continued, reminding them of the other problem they still had to deal with.  
“Yes,” Emma said. “We should go figure out where that monster came from.”  
She and her parents began to walk back towards the town.  
“If I see anything, I’ll let you know,” Robin said, as he began to walk towards the forest. He had a hunch where Regina might have gone if she hadn’t gone back to her vault.  
Memories he had tried not to dwell on for years began to come back to him, memories of the man that he once had to call “Your Royal Highness.” Memories of the man who was the reason Roland had no mother.


	4. Memories and Acceptance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin and Regina have a talk in the woods and his Merry Men come to accept her.

Hello! *awkwardly waves* I know it has been months, sorry about that. I experienced major blocks with this story and was having a lot of issues in other areas of my life. I was going to abandon this story to be honest, as I was beginning to doubt the direction it was going, but recently I have decided to try to continue, and I am going to try to post a bit more frequently, but can't promise how regularly that will be.

Now I tried to post this earlier today, but there was a problem with the computer I was using that I didn't notice the first time. Thank you to the guest reviewer who pointed it out, so I could fix it when I got back to my personal computer. Some of you have left really sweet reviews for what was actually the previous chapter, but since it's been so long it's understandable you may not have realized, and I am very humbled to know people still want to follow this story so thank you to all.

This is a bit of a filler chapter, just to kind of remind people where we are and give a bit more background, but I hope you like it.

And without further ado, the real chapter four!

Chapter Four-Present Day

Regina arrived in the woods, and was breathing hard as the purple smoke around her faded. She was aware enough to see she had landed in a familiar spot, and moved to sit on the log, trying to calm herself down. But the nature sounds and sights didn’t do much to stop her from reliving memories that she had long since suppressed.

Regina didn’t know how long she sat there, although the sun did appear to move higher in the sky.

“Regina,” came a soft voice from behind her. She nearly fell off the long from jumping out of her skin.

“Robin!” she gasped when she saw him.

“I’m sorry,” he said, putting his hands up out of instinct. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“How are you so silent when you’re walking on fallen leaves?” she asked after she caught her breath.

“A thief’s talent,” he said, his face softening into a smile. He walked over to the rock across from the log and sat down.

She managed a small smile back at him, and then shivered a bit, crossing her arms over her chest. Robin immediately shrugged out of his jacket and she tried to protest when he handed it to her.

“You’re cold, please, take it. I’m fine,” he insisted. Regina reluctantly took it and relaxed a bit as the warmth from his jacket enveloped her. But she still didn’t speak.

Robin sat with her in silence for a few minutes, and when it was clear she wasn’t going to break it, he decided to talk again.

“I remember the first time I met Prince John in person,” he began. Regina didn’t move or react.

“We had already been outlawed by the Sheriff of Nottingham and were living in Sherwood Forest. Little John heard from people in a village near the forests’ edge that the royal carriages would be traveling through with loads of tax gold.”

“So, you decided to rob him,” Regina said, turning to look at him.

“Of course, it sounded like a perfect opportunity,” he said with a smirk. “The prince couldn’t believe what was happening at first, but his guards were experienced. Marian had insisted on coming with us, and in my attempts to make sure she made it out safely, I was captured. So was my old friend, Will Scarlet.”

“I don’t remember meeting a Will Scarlet,” Regina said, trying to remember the names of all his men.

“He’s not here now. We had a bit of a falling out a few years ago. But we were captured, and we were set to be tried. It was barely a trial, it was just an opportunity for the Prince to remind the people of his dominance over them, even if he wasn’t actually King. He sentenced us to hang, but that night my men managed to break us out, and we escaped back to Sherwood.”

He paused, and Regina had a bad feeling she knew where this was going to go.

“But that wasn’t the end of it,” she pressed him.

“No. He became relentless in searching for us. Before the Sheriff only had so much man power to find us, but the Prince gave him soldiers to look for us. So many that nowhere was safe anymore and they found us at our camp. Roland was barely walking, and I was closer to him so I picked him up as we all began running. Then, they caught Marian, and took her. I wanted to go after them right away, but I couldn’t until Roland was safe. And I knew she was scared, but I also knew she’d never forgive me if I went after her without making sure our son was safe.”

“And you would never have forgiven yourself either,” Regina said. “I would have done the same thing.”

Robin nodded, and continued.

“Once we’d gotten to safety again, I left Roland with Friar Tuck. Little John, Will, and I went on a mission to rescue Marian. We knew that she would have been held in the dungeon and her trial would happen quickly.”

Regina felt sicker as she realized she did know exactly where this was headed. Everything she knew about Prince John pointed to it, as well as everything that she did with prisoners as Queen.

“He didn’t give her a trial at all did he?” she asked, nervously.

“No. He executed her as soon as they returned to his castle. To set an example, he said. But it was really to punish me. He wanted to make sure I wouldn’t be able to break her out. He killed her just to punish me.”

 

For the first time since he had found her, Regina extended her hand towards him and he grasped it.

“I’m not telling you this to make it about my pain. This is about you. I just want you to know that...”

“That you do understand, at least some,” she said, squeezing his hand again. “I did hear you last night,” she continued as he looked mildly surprised. “And I appreciate you wanting to be there for me. But I’m not sure you can understand all of it.”

“Perhaps not,” Robin agreed, nodding.

“I mean...” she hesitated, not sure if she wanted to admit the part of Robin’s story that made her the sickest. “When I was Queen, I would have done what he did. I mean, I executed many people to induce fear. So, with that in mind...”

“Don’t think that way,” Robin interrupted, scooting closer and squeezing her hand tighter. “You aren’t the Evil Queen anymore. You’ve tried to change and do what you can to make things better. From his attitude, it’s clear he hasn’t. So, please, don’t think you’re the same. And don’t think you deserve what he did, no matter what it was or what he claims his reasons were.”

His blue eyes were shining with sincerity and Regina really wanted to believe everything he said. Everything in her mind told her that what he was saying made sense, but her heart didn’t quite agree.

The two of them sat in comfortable silence for awhile. Robin could sense that more conversation of Prince John would no longer help her. Robin scooted a little closer to her, and slowly moved to put his arm around her. He wasn’t sure if she might rebuff him, as they hadn’t had a close moment since before the damn prince arrived. To his relief, she accepted it, and even started to lean into him after a moment.

He wasn’t sure how long he sat there with his arm around her, but after a while they heard footsteps, some that sounded as though the person was rather large, and small quick ones close by. Suddenly a small voice cheerfully yelled out, “Papa!” and Roland was running towards them, Little John behind him carrying his bow and what looked like a wild turkey he had shot.

Without hesitation the little boy launched himself into his father’s lap, and Robin immediately wrapped his arms around his son. Regina couldn’t help but smile at the sight, and her smile grew wider when Roland turned to her and said “Hi, Regina!” with a wide grin.

“Hello sweetheart,” she said, moving her hand to run it through his wild curls.

“Uncle John and I caught a turkey for dinner!” he said, excitedly.

“I can see that,” Robin said, looking over to his friend. “Although from the racket your feet were making a moment ago, I’m rather surprised you succeeded,” he continued in a teasing tone.

Little John gave an expression of pretending to look abashed but Regina could see the hint of a smile under it.

“We were quiet enough to get the bird. Plus, it was him that started running afterwards...” John said, pointing at Roland, who continued grinning sheepishly. “Well, if he’s safe with you, I’m going to take this back and start skinning it for tonight.”

At Little John’s words, Roland let out a large yawn.

“And I should probably get this one back for a nap,” Robin said, looking at Regina apologetically, but she just kept smiling at the little boy. As Robin started to stand up, Roland suddenly grasped Regina’s hand.

“Are you coming back with us?” he asked.

“Oh,” Regina replied, surprised by the innocent question.

“You can, if you’d like,” Robin said, extending his free hand towards her. “If you don’t want to go back to town yet.”

“I, uh, I don’t know,” she said nervously, glancing over at Little John. Going back just with Robin and Roland did sound lovely, but the rest of the Merry Men she wasn’t so sure about.

“You should,” Little John replied, to Regina’s amazement.

Robin turned to his friend with a grateful smile that made his dimples stand out.

“There’ll be more than enough food, even with me there,” Little John continued with a cheeky smile that managed to put her at ease. “You’d be welcome to join us.”

“You will be,” Robin repeated.

After another moment’s hesitation, Regina’s mind was made up mostly by the happy smile gracing Roland’s sleepy face.

“Okay, thank you,” she said. “That sounds lovely.”

She began walking back to their camp with them. When they arrived, Robin first led her to where his tent was so he could put Roland to bed. But of course the boy had to show her that he still had the stuffed monkey she had given him, so getting him to sleep actually took a bit longer than anticipated

When Roland was asleep, Robin led Regina over to the fire, where several of his other Merry men were sitting and talking. Little John sat a little bit away skinning his turkey. There was another turkey next to it also waiting to be skinned, apparently shot by Alan a Dale so there was more than enough meat to last a while.

Regina sat quietly at first, a bit unnerved by the men looking at her. But she noticed that the way they were looking at her wasn’t suspicious or angry as she was fearing. They were just curious it seemed. After a few minutes, Friar Tuck smiled at her and held out his hand.

“It’s nice to have you join us,” he says with so much sincerity it couldn’t possibly be mistaken for sarcasm.

“Thank you,” she replied, feeling more at ease. Robin put his arm around her and she scooted a little closer to him. Some of the men started telling him about things they’d noticed around the forest to be aware of, and as certain issues were ones she had been aware of as mayor of the town, such as the large coyote population, she found she was able to join in the conversation.

As the afternoon wore on and the meat started cooking, she found she had almost completely forgotten her earlier troubles and worries. It was cozy, sitting in the forest with Robin and his closest friends, and Roland once he had woken up and come to sit with her. Men who she had once scoffed at were welcoming her into their inner circle.

The only person missing was Henry and she promised herself that she would call him as soon as she reached the road to town later where she would have reception.

For a few hours, Regina had some peace sitting there with Robin and Roland, all thoughts of her past with Prince John gone. In the back of her mind, she knew it wouldn’t last, and that she’d probably have to face him and the others again soon.

But for now, she would enjoy Robin’s embrace and Roland’s warm cuddles by the fire.


End file.
